Can Lucic bounce back?

[Bryanbryoil]

Lucic could hit 40 pts this season and still not be of contractual value albeit if all of it occurred in bottomsix (It won't) argument could be made that its a very helpful contribution.

Whatever he brings doesn't erase he wss one of the reasons this team struggled enormously throughout the season. Pulling the plug on the season at Xmas is inexcusable from somebody wearing an A, making 6M longterm, and expected to be a vet leader on this club. Really the absence of someone like Hendricks, Maroon and you wonder even if it impacts accountability. Both Kass and Lucic layed down this season perhaps feeling comfortable, or just not having anybody in the room they have to answer to at all.

Hendricks and Maroon are just the type of individuals who bring a level of effort and comments and interaction that it makes it harder for anybody to dog it on the team. Ironically Lucic was brought in to be one of those hard work mentors (which is a joke in itself as he's rarely that) but for him to be a dog ****er on the team is just incredibly disappointing. Its like he's giving Chia a one finger salute. He may as well be. Lucic has been so toxically bad it basically becomes a reason Chia has been on the hotseat not only for acquiring this player but signing him longterm and even defending his play this season and not being worried about it because "Lucic is a solid character guy" What does that even mean other than nothing considering what we see from Milan in actual on ice play?

Maroon took a step back last season as well at least from a physicality perspective. It sounds like he had back issues so I'll give him a pass there. Kassian was a downright embarrassment and Lucic played like crap from Christmas on.

I agree with you that he has really left Chia out to dry. If he keeps his nose to the grindstone and gets 20 goals, 45-55 points and adds physicality, his deal doesn't look too bad. If he plays like he did after Christmas this season I suspect that Chia will sour on Milan the person more than he does Milan the player. After year 1 he gave Milan aright marks, after year 2 you know that he would in all honesty give him failing marks. He needs a big year out of Milan and if Milan is a stand up guy, he will do just that.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Oh great, he's focusing on his mental game, so that probably means he'll be the same speed as last year, a potato on ice.

He's also working with Chad Moreau so here's to hoping that speed and explosiveness are on the menu.

 

[TheRebuild]

That interview actually worries more me more than anything, that he’s still sitting around trying to figure out what went wrong. Just get over it, and do what you need to do to get your game back in order or retire.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

That interview actually worries more me more than anything, that he’s still sitting around trying to figure out what went wrong. Just get over it, and do what you need to do to get your game back in order or retire.

The whole part about all of it being mental IMO is troubling. It's either that he really believes that to be the case or he is working on getting quicker but doesn't want to show fault for not doing so last season. If he starts the season slowly things could get ugly real quick. I also hope that he doesn't figure that he'll be attached to McDavid's left hip from the word go, that is RNH's spot to lose.

 

[FlameChampion]

He can have a better year than last year but honestly I am not expecting much from him.

I didnt like what I saw from him at all. Really poor defensively, not engaged, slow skater, poor hands, cant win battles for the puck.

I dont think he was good the first year he was here either. Stats wise his first year wasnt too bad. I actually thought he started last year fairly well but he was so awful after xmas.

Honestly I think he took the paycheck and has no more motivation. And now that hes on the wrong side of his career, its not going to help. Good for him and his family. Sucks for the Oilers and the fans. Hopefully I am wrong.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

He can have a better year than last year but honestly I am not expecting much from him.

I didnt like what I saw from him at all. Really poor defensively, not engaged, slow skater, poor hands, cant win battles for the puck.

I dont think he was good the first year he was here either. Stats wise his first year wasnt too bad. I actually thought he started last year fairly well but he was so awful after xmas.

Honestly I think he took the paycheck and has no more motivation. And now that hes on the wrong side of his career, its not going to help. Good for him and his family. Sucks for the Oilers and the fans. Hopefully I am wrong.

We keep hearing how "proud" he is. We'll see how proud he really is based on his upcoming season.

 

[MoontoScott]

Well, he plays a mean game on Twitter, that much we know.

 

[oilynutz]

He couldn't receive a pass without bumbling it last year. Sounds pretty mental to me. You don't just all of a sudden lose all of your puck skills(even if they were limited to begin with). I think he will be back with a vengeance next year. He seems like too proud of a person to allow himself to fall apart this early into his contract.

26g-36a-62 points

 

[Mr Positive]

That interview actually worries more me more than anything, that he’s still sitting around trying to figure out what went wrong. Just get over it, and do what you need to do to get your game back in order or retire.

I wouldn't worry about those comments. I think it was the most perfectly generic interview possible. He blames no one but himself. He points the finger to sports psychology because in that narrative he isn't simply finished due to wear and tear.

Right now my big hope is what happened with Dustin Brown. Everyone said he was finished, and it became established fact that he was a physical player exiting his prime, and that his deterioration was permanent. It's a lazy rule to follow, and imo there's plenty of reason to believe that Lucic would be one of the exceptions that that "rule"

And ultimately it is not like we have much choice. We might as well hope for the best with him because we aren't going to be able to trade him. Simple as that. Might as well choose to be optimistic for your own sanity lol

 

[Still DRAI]

Kassian was a downright embarrassment and Lucic played like crap from Christmas on.

I'm not gonna make excuses for post-December Lucic because he was frankly an active detriment a fair amount of the time, but with regards to Kassian, I noticed that he took a penalty early in the season after throwing a big hit (rep call), we got scored on immediately on the PK, and he never really looked as engaged ever again.

A team with these big boy grinders NEEDS to be able to kill the inevitable penalties that come with physical play.

 

[KCC]

He's a 6 million dollar plug. Hated the signing then and I hate it now. But we're stuck with him so I hope he can turn it around and have a few somewhat decent seasons before he retires. Because he clearly doesn't have much left.

 

[ConnorMcNugesaitl]

I'm not gonna make excuses for post-December Lucic because he was frankly an active detriment a fair amount of the time, but with regards to Kassian, I noticed that he took a penalty early in the season after throwing a big hit (rep call), we got scored on immediately on the PK, and he never really looked as engaged ever again.

A team with these big boy grinders NEEDS to be able to kill the inevitable penalties that come with physical play.

That's not a reasonable excuse for Kassian to be a complete non factor all over the ice.

Kassian went from a guy who looked like he had something to prove and was willing to work his ass off all over the ice to contribute to a guy who got paid and completely checked out.

 

[Captain Controversy]

Lucic did have his neck cut

 

[bobbythebrain]

Lucic did have his neck cut

That makes sense. Cuz he sure looks like he stick handles w/ his neck vs his hands

 

[Cam98]

I firmly believe Lucic will return to a 20 goal scorer and 50 point winger. The whole Oilers were bad last season overall while Lucic was just flat out terrible. I just can't see it happening again and he just needs some confidence.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Lucic did have his neck cut

I forgot about that, when did that happen again?

 

[Trafalgar Sadge Law]

No nobody cares about Demar Derozan. Nobody cares about you either though Lucic. Retire already.

 

[harpoon]

We keep hearing how "proud" he is. We'll see how proud he really is based on his upcoming season.

This is my feeling as well. No use talking about getting 'faster'. That isn't going to happen at this stage in his career. Lucic needs to play to his strengths. Get in front of the damn net and make life miserable for opposing dmen and goaltenders. Hack and chop in rebounds. Of course that depends to some degree on proper deployment by the coach which is out of Lucic's hands.

But yeah, the pride thing is huge imo. You can't be in the NHL if you can't receive a pass or protect the puck for more than three strides. That's simply a lack of concentration or a product of frustration. No use blaming the coach if you are bobbling every puck that comes your way.

 

[MessierII]

I forgot about that, when did that happen again?

I think mid January.

 

[guymez]

I think mid January.

I dont recall this...he had a neck injury?

 

[MessierII]

I dont recall this...he had a neck injury?

He got cut really bad by a skate. Blood everywhere. Just missed his jugular. Ill see if I can find an article.

Edit: here is one

Oilers' Lucic shares scary photo of neck after cut by skate

 

[oobga]

He's also working with Chad Moreau so here's to hoping that speed and explosiveness are on the menu.

Wait. That's Ethan Moreau's brother? Didn't a bunch of OIlers train with Moreau on summer around the start of the decade (+) of darkness and almost every single one of them got injured the next season?

 

[guymez]

He got cut really bad by a skate. Blood everywhere. Just missed his jugular. Ill see if I can find an article.

Edit: here is one

Oilers' Lucic shares scary photo of neck after cut by skate

Thanks for digging that up.

That incident slipped by me completely.

Its almost like that was the start of things to come for Lucic. His play was just fine before that.

 

[Drivesaitl]

The neck cut though is illusion as far as the timing of Lucic checking out. The game was Jan 13. Lucic had been playing awful since Xmas and including in that game. He had two second assists in the 10 GP since Xmas. He was already checked out and GDT's were full of comments about how suddenly bad he was. Whether this scared him and contributed to him being poor the rest of the way is one thing, but in no way is it matching with the timeline of when he disappeared.

The odd thing is Lucic had one of his best games a week later Jan 20. Then disappeared from the scoresheet completely.

ftr Lucic had been redhot in December bagging 4G 6A 10pts in 10GP up until Xmas. Thus making the 10 games after (and really the rest of the season) so strange.


This was so much of the case of a player just shutting it off, pulling the parachute. So disappointingly, its that.

The Neck injury, while interesting, is not synchronous with Lucic's dive.

Just mentioning this because time elapsed since removes memory of exactly when events occur.

 

[Soundwave]

IMO no he won't. He doesn't play well with McDavid or Draisaitl and his 5 on 5 production has been bad both years.

He is a poor fit for this team, that's all there is to it. He has no chemistry with anyone and has had long dry spells both seasons.

Even Todd by now must realize he can't keep forcing Lucic prime minutes with McDavid or even Drai. It doesn't work, he kills way too many plays.